great vehemence, "that it
should not be; that the revolution must go on." On my arrival at Paris
in the evening, the Palais Royal was full of people; and there were
movements and buzzings among them, as if something was expected to
happen. The next day, when I went into the streets, it was obvious what
was going to take place. Suffice it to say, that the next evening the
king and queen were brought prisoners into Paris. After this, things
were in such an unsettled state for a few days, and the members of the
National Assembly were so occupied in the consideration of the event
itself, and of the consequences which might attend it, that my little
meeting, of which it had cost me so much time and trouble to procure the
appointment, was entirely prevented.

I had now to wait patiently till a new opportunity should occur. The
Comte de Mirabeau, before the departure of the king, had moved, and
carried the resolution, that "the Assembly was inseparable from his
majesty's person." It was expected, therefore, that the National
Assembly would immediately transfer its sittings to Paris. This took
place on the 19th. It was now more easy for me to bring persons
together, than when I had to travel backward and forward to Versailles.
Accordingly, by watching my opportunities, I obtained the promise of
another meeting. This was held afterwards at the Duke de la
Rochefoucauld's. The persons before mentioned were present; except the
Comte de Mirabeau, whose occupations at that moment made it utterly
impossible for him to attend.

The duke opened the business in an appropriate manner; and concluded, by
desiring each person to give his opinion frankly and unequivocally as to
what might be expected of the National Assembly relative to the great
measure of the abolition of the Slave Trade.

The Abbe Sieyes rose up, and said it would probably bring the business
within a shorter compass if, instead of discussing this proposition at
large, I were to put to the meeting my own questions. I accordingly
accepted this offer, and began by asking those present "how long it was
likely that the present National Assembly would sit?" After some
conversation, it was replied that "it would sit till it had completed
the constitution, and interwoven such fixed principles into it, that the
legislature which should succeed it might have nothing more to do than
to proceed on the ordinary business of the state. Its dissolution would
probably not take place ti